Checkmate
by MinaRobins
Summary: What is a dream but a reality in our minds? Ariadne-centric.


Title:

Checkmate

**Author:** Mina Robins

**Fandom:** Inception

**Pairing:** Ariadne/?

**Rating: **G

Ariadne-centric.

What is a dream but a reality in our minds?

* * *

Her eyes shot open, her trembling hands surged forward to push the non-existent Mal away. She clenches onto where the knife had struck. Her breath coming in gasps. Adriane looks wide eyed at Arthur; he is calmly reassuring her of something, something she doesn't understand. She felt the cold steel of the knife squelch into her body. Her infinitely fragile body. He's speaking, his voice strong yet subtly soft.

She feels safe with him.

* * *

She tried to leave, she tried to escape. But it was impossible. It was like giving up the ability to _see_ and _touch _and **_feel_** all at once. To be _God_, to control **everything **and to contort the very physics of the dream to hold up the beauty of her work. The real world couldn't compare and her body refused to let her fall into her dreams anymore. The moment she laid her head down and her ability of creation returned she would be jolted awake. Gasping at air and her hand placed over her thundering heart. She could not create the paradoxical pieces of art unless she could dream and her being no longer allowed her to have that power through sleep.

She _had_ to return. Once you've seen the light, you can't go back hiding in the dark.

When she did go back to the grimy warehouse, Arthur was already setting up the machinery and a knowing smile adorned his chiselled face. "He said you'll be back."

Ariadne doesn't answer; instead she lies back on one of the chairs and holds out her arm expectantly, a petulant expression on her face. She was annoyed that Dom could read her like a book.

Arthur begins the motions and sets her off into the dream world without another word.

* * *

It's windy here and it makes the silk streamers on the Great Walls of China billow around them as they walked up its winding staircase and transcend closer to heaven.

"I thought…" Ariadne feels giddy, they were back. She couldn't control the gleeful smile that climbed its way up to her face and remained etched into her features even as Arthur laughed at her.

"Why here?"

Arthur shrugged. The way he did it made her question how someone could look so completely ridged and precise even with such a casual movement. He isn't always so clean and exact.

His step is light as he continued down the ancient structure. The way he is moving is so smooth it makes Ariadne chuckle at the ridiculousness of her 'internship'. Working for Dom has injected absolute ludicrously into her life.

He raises a prim eyebrow, questioning her actions and she just shakes her head.

"Why do you do this?" She waves her hand vaguely at her surroundings. She tries to keep her voice aloof but she can tell she has failed when he scrutinized her with his eyes.

"I'm good at it."

She nods. "You are just so…" She puts her hands into her jean pockets and runs her thumb over the familiar metal body of her totem. "It just seems like putting a violin into a swimming pool."

Ariadne continues before he can question her rather weird metaphor. "This world is so totally remarkable and even as I walk in it, it seems unreal…"

"And someone so clung onto perfection, someone like _me_ doesn't and shouldn't be in here?" His eyes are now smiling.

Perhaps she had managed to figure out a secret.

Arthur had his moments. When they are in the dreams she noticed how he has mere seconds of uncensored ecstasy when he thinks no one is looking. He _loves_ it here. Just like she does. He throbs of endless energy and excitement of being in a fantasy.

"Why a pawn?" He queries.

She takes the shiny totem her pocket and grins at the Point man. She places it on its round head onto the back of her hand. Watching it balance precariously but perfectly on its uneven top.

* * *

"She's getting out of control; you **can't **just lock her up in those memories!"

Dom clenches his jaw and turns away from the naïve child he has pulled into this rather costly game.

_She is there, watching you. You feel her, but it can't be. She's gone, it's not real, she's not real. _

_

* * *

_

"Kiss me." Arthur ordered in a quiet, controlled tone.

Ariadne feels her lips quirk at the request and quickly leans forward to capture his lips. When she pulls back Fischer's subconscious is still glaring at the pair of them like vultures. They had been circling a little close for comfort.

"They are still looking at us." She accuses Arthur, annoyed that the plan hadn't worked.

A boyish grin overcomes his normally stoic face, "Well it was worth a shot, let's go"

Indignation creeps in her face and for a moment Arthur worries he has miscalculated something.

"Let's move."

His voice doesn't leave room for contradictions and she follows obediently as he swiftly leaves for the elevators.

The brunette in the elevator with them had…feels familiar.

Ariadne hears the flutter of gossamer butterfly wings and the ticking of an accurate and very expensive wrist watch.

But the other sounds falter as the elevator chimes on arrival of their floor.

* * *

The ice bites at her cheeks. The chill rushes into her jacket and it makes Ariadne miss the heated air of the hotel. Fischer is listening to Dom like a bewildered child. His eyes are set and it's obvious if the broken leader of their group told the multimillionaire to jump off her snow cropped mountains,

Robert Fischer **would**, in a heartbeat.

_Her eyes, so cold. They never looked like this before._

"You are shooting at his subconscious!" Ariadne is frustrated, she finds herself agreeing with Eames' suggestion of a beach. "What if you are destroying that part of the person's mind?"

"They are just projections." His voice is thick.

A glimpse of worry flow through her eyes when she sees what Dom is focusing on. Mal is there, standing behind their oblivious mark.

"Shoot her!" Ariadne shoved Dom's shoulder, hoping to wake him from his stupor. "NOW!"

* * *

"You are just not good enough for me anymore." His voice is so fierce but hardly audible.

"Dom!" Ariadne yelled, she looks up and sees her accomplice kissing the projection. With one final shove the petite girl manages to throw the startled Robert into the dissolving abyss of Dom's nightmare dream.

The world was crumbling.

Her eyes connect with Mal's and she sees the knife poised to strike. Her finger has pulled the trigger before the knife has even begun for its destination.

* * *

She jumps awake.

The 'Fasten Your Seatbelt' overhead is blinking at an impatient rate. She blunders about for a moment trying to pull the straps around herself.

She turns and faces Arthur when he places his hand onto her cheek. "Focus, Ariadne, focus."

Her lungs are throbbing; her body stinging from the cold and the air is so sweet compared to the oxygen given to her by the tank Arthur had hidden under her seat.

"Did it work?" She whispers, her tone biting when she recalls their mission.

Arthur nods his face far too solemn for their victory. "Dom and Saito are waking as we speak."

"Then why do you look so worried?" Her voice is rushed her throat feels dry with anxiety.

"You were screaming."

She raises her hand up to Arthur's custom tailored suit. Tugging slightly until he leans down and his lips are against hers once again.

His lips are unyielding and demanding for her attention. His presence so…

"Do you have your totem?"

* * *

Ariadne and Arthur tumble into bed. His normally concentrated features bright with a smile and his voice infected with laughter.

So unbound by everything! Ariadne marvelled at the change that has overcome her partner.

The party was hurried. The celebration was held at Dom's home. His children overexcited and the feel of family glowing from the separated.

The rest of the crew watched at a respectable distance. Saito had excused himself earlier. Taking a moment to lean close to Ariadne and offer his thanks and a card to invite her into a prestigious group he was planning to start now that Dom was retiring.

Arthur had almost placed his hand on her shoulder before seeming to think better of it and instead offer a slight congratulating raise of his wine glass. Held between his fore fingers was Saito's card.

She licked her lips and could taste the white wine that Arthur had been drinking tonight.

"Can I give you something?"

Ariadne smiles and tilts her head. She leaned up to peck the slightly older man on the nose encouragingly.

He pushes his dice into her palm. Promptly intertwining his fingers with her's when he saw her shocked expression. "You are my sanity now."

Ariadne was speechless. Her heart beating so quickly she wonders if it would burst from pure happiness. It was as a fairy tale. A prince to save her from her mundane existence.

"I," He moves in and covers her lips and with his, making her forget what she wanted to in turn promise.

"Yes?" He looks excitedly at you. A child in a candy shop. His eyes so soulful and endless she can almost get lost in them.

_Failure._

"May I go shower first?"

His handsome face shows a slightly quizzical expression but then the smile returns and he offers his hand to walk her to the washroom.

The minute the door is close she turned her back onto the sturdy frame. Practiced routine causes her to lock the door.

She placed the dice down, it was phenomenon. He practically, no he _did _just give all of himself to her. And she was in the bathroom, **freaking out** like a teenager.

She took out her metal pawn. It's weight reassuring her. She grins and playfully places the pawn on top of the bright red dice. They fit perfectly.

Ariadne turned on the facet and sets the water to near burning. Perhaps she would invite him in. She smiled mischievously. Knowing him and how gentlemen like he was, he'll probably decline. However considering they _were _making out rather passionately seconds ago…Turning back she placed her pawn on the back of her hand. First on its base then shrugging she placed it on its head.

She slowly releases her hold on the still cold body of her chest piece. It reassuringly begins to tilts.

A beat,

Then, the pawn resurrects itself to its original position. It stood, still and surreal on its rounded head.

Her body trembles. The blood in her veins immediately beginning to freeze over. She whips her head to the door. Arthur is banging on the only thing keeping him from her.

His voice contorted in anger. His yelling as frightening as her first death had been.

"Ariadne, answer me" The door is shaking and the frame is creaking in its effort to prolong Arthur's arrival. "Don't worry, just **open** the door!"

She pockets her totem, then faces the bathroom's antique mirror. The pent suit had the good mind to have two classical full size mirrors. She doesn't take a moment to rethink her decision. Placing her hand on the mirror closes to her she wills it to shatter. She redoes the trick she had done to recreate her bridge to home the first time she was with Dom.

She runs over the glass, ignoring the cuts she acquired due to the scattered remnants of the hotel's expensive mirror.

She pushes herself to run faster. She hears him approaching. His steps consecutive and in such a quick succession she knows he is right behind her. He is so _so_ silent, while she's straining and tears are descending down her face and falling onto the pavement.

She makes her tears into a river and begins to flood the ground behind her. Arthur does not even swear, he just jumps into the rushing waters and closes into her position.

* * *

Ariadne is looking over the bridge. All she had to do was let herself fall into the cold artificial ocean. All she had to do was stagger up the railing and throw herself into the air and let the faux gravity take her body and thus she would have created her kick.

A hand clenches onto her wrist. The skin is too soft to be Arthur's hand. Ariadne feels her body being hauled around.

She gulps as she looks up into Mal's hawk like gaze.

"You promised."

Her lips crash into Ariadne. There's nothing loving about it. She's Dom's nightmare, she's not real. The Architect wraps her arms around the Shade's surprisingly inviting body and drags the both of them to the bridge's railing.

"What are-"

Ariadne's eyes are clear and harden when she pitches both her and the living nightmare over the bridge.

Arthur shoots his hand out but only manages to clasp onto the cold morning air. He watches with a mix of pride and annoyance as the pair hit into the water. He nods approvingly when he sees the surface of the pristine ocean shatter and the disappearance of both women.

* * *

Her eyelids flutter open. Turning left and right, she finds herself in Dom's back yard.

Arthur moves up to her prone form. "Congratulation Ms. Page, welcome to the cooperation."

"What. The. Hell."

"Pardon me miss, could you repeat your question?" Arthur is as handsome as he ever was in her dreams. His face so normal and fake all at the same time it hurt. He is so much of a gentleman.

She didn't even know she had smacked him across the face until his head rips to the side and a moment later he is looking at her with a slightly contempt smile.

"Ms. Page, I'm sorry for the confusion but you did apply for the job." He holds out his hand and drops it when Ariadne glares at the preoffered limb. It was just let when he had helped her to the bathroom. She pushes herself off the ground without his help. "A test _is _necessary."

However necessary the test _was _didn't make Ariadne any less peeved off at the whole situation.

"Sweet heart, try to remember where you are." Eames is walking up to her holding out his hand patiently and motioning to give her a glass of water. The girl looked about ready to run.

Like she was going to drink water, who knows what's in it! Ariadne jammed her hand into her pocket and feels her totem resting peacefully where she had left it. _When_ had she left it there? Did she drill out the inside of the totem? Did she…Everything was rushing back.

"What the hell." Ariadne voiced again, she rolls her shoulders and looks at her surroundings.

The tall grass was cool under her bare feet. She almost wanted to inspect her soles for nonexistent injuries. Dom's backyard was the wrong word to describe this place. It was a picturesque utopia. The house was situated to the side of the pint sized island. An apple tree was planted by where she had been lying. The monarch butterflies were drinking from the various kind of flower. Looking out, the sea surrounded the little island. The water was so clear it sparkled with the fish within its arms. The smell of the sea seemed real enough.

Ariadne backed away from the men until she was near enough to touch the translucent sea. Taking a breath she pulled out her pawn. If this _was _a dream she was so screwed. She couldn't jump and she certainly would not be able to run into the house to get her gun. Her gun…?

She sighed and placed the totem on its head on the back of her hand. It toppled before she had finished letting go.

"You're not making much of an effort are you?"

The chess piece did not bother to answer her and opt instead to remain on its side.

Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding Ariadne popped up her pawn and captured it on her palm before shoving it back into her pocket.

The men were uncomplainingly waiting by where she had awoken.

Walking swiftly back she tried to recall how she had gotten here. She was still feeling jumpy and kept turning her head left and right to make sure nothing and no one was coming after her nor shooting at her.

"Feeling better, love?" Eames grinned and threw an object enclosed in a work envelope at her. It wasn't like she was going to drink anything he offered her.

She unravelled the string keeping the tan coloured envelope closed. The weight was strangely comforting.

**_Euphoria _**if she had ever felt it. She sighed contently as her fingers gripped around her familiar silver coated Desert Eagle.

Yusuf had walked up to the group as well and winked at Ariadne as she played with the safety of her gun.

"So I passed right?" Ariadne made sure to check to see if the gun was loaded and was satisfied with her query. "You would have thought I'll notice that it was all just a dream."

"I thought we did a smashing job." Eames grinned that shit eating grin he always gave her when he was enthused by something.

Saito had strolled out to meet his company and crossed his arms when he heard the pair talking.

"Not really," Ariadne rolled her eyes when Saito glared. "You didn't even bother to cover up the fact that I was walking out class. All I needed to do was think 'what class was I in' and I would have realised. I mean it couldn't be the one professor Cobb was teaching since he was already outside…" The Architect smiled and held up her hand to her face and held a over exaggerated quizzical expression. "Now what class could I've possibly taken before, wait a minute, I'm not _in _university any more, I **graduated.** If I had taken the moment to remember and you hadn't speedily popped us in the streets, nice save by the way but it _was_ my fault really."

"Yes, we all know you did fantastical."

Ariadne cringed at the sight of Mal. One hand squeezing the pawn and the other keeping her gun in a death grip.

She gulped but then released her totem and held out her hand to her lover.

"I passed."

"I suppose." Mal ran her hand through the younger girl's hair. "It's time for a celebration correct?"

Ariadne reached out and held Mal's hand and began walking into the house after her team mates.

"Checkmate, Mal."

The taller of the two women frowned. "No, you fell for it, _I_ won."

"Where's your totem, honey?"

Mal pulled out of Ariadne's hand and took out her totem. Glancing up, Ariadne smiled and gave an encouraging nod.

Mal spun the top and watched in disbelief as it fell onto the grass and still continued its spin.

"Oh."

Ariadne laughed at Mal's contrite expression. She kissed her girlfriend's lips and continued her way into the house. "Seems like your still falling for it."

Mal looked at her protégé's retreating back as the younger girl started speaking again.

"Checkmate darling, when you wake up we are taking on the Dom Codd project but you are on the side lines and **I **am going into his twisted little mind."

* * *

**A/N: Have I totally destroyed reality like I wanted to or have I've gone overboard?**

**It's always nice to hear feedback so would you be so kind as to reviewing :3**


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